CHEAPER, cleaner, greener! That's what one Blackpool cab firm has decided to make some of its fleet of taxis.

And it has won them praise in the House of Commons for being the first firm in the region to do just that!

Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden paid homage to Premier Cabs, of Lytham Road, Blackpool, after they converted six of their 70-strong fleet of taxis to run on the more environmentally friendly alternative to petrol -- Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG).

And greener taxis equals lower taxes as LPG is not taxed as heavily by the Government as regular fuel.

More commonly known as propane, LPG is a by-product of the process of refining oil and is therefore produced in a similar way to standard petrol and diesel.

John Cutler, owner and managing director of Premier Cabs, said: "LPG costs a fraction of the price of petrol, and releases far fewer poisonous emissions into the atmosphere, making it much better for the environment."

He said, however, that the motor industry had been slow to catch on to its potential use as a fuel for vehicles, at least until now. One potential problem has always been availability -- propane is commonly used for domestic heating purposes, for example caravans, but is not widely available at filling stations.

Mick Scarlet is a director of Premier Autogas in Blackpool on Squires Gate Industrial Estate, a division of Home Heat Gas. He provides LPG to customers all over the North West. Pictured here is Derek Southworth from Premier Autogas filling Ian Flitcroft's taxi with LPG fuel.

Mick said it is a perfect fuel for cars, especially considering the recent price hike in standard petrol.

He said: "A litre of unleaded costs around 84 pence, but a litre of LPG is only around 38 pence. This is because the government place very little tax on it because it is environmentally safer."

To be able to run on LPG, vehicles must undergo a conversion, which Mick said can cost anything between £900 and £1,500, and they can then fill up from special dispensers, such as the one at Premier Autogas.

Gordon Marsden MP has even tabled a motion in the Commons to get others to convert, and said he hoped other taxi firms and high-mileage road users will follow their example. John Cutler from Premier Cabs, explaining why he made the switch, said: "We like to be at the forefront of new developments -- we hope to convert as many cabs as possible in the future and make Blackpool a cleaner, greener place to be."